John buckley seel



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. B. SEEL.

UMBRELLA.

Pafented Oct. 23, 1888 NO- m1950- Flam. FIGXTL.

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UMBRELLA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,650, dated October 23, 1888.

Application filed .August 23, 1887. Serial No. 247,671. (No model.) Patented in England October 2l, 1886, No. 13,433.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, J oHN Buckner Snai.,

a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of London, in the county ofMiddleseX, England ,commission agent, have invented certain Improvements in Umbrellas, Parasols, and Sunshades, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 18,433, dated October 21, 1886,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to dispense with the springs on the sticks of umbrellas, parasols, and sunshades, usually employed for thepurpose of keeping the umbrel'la, parasol, or sunshade open or shut, and to make the tips lie closely around the stick without the aid of a tip-cup or elastic band. In order to accomplish this purpose, I use ribs and stretchers of any ordinary pattern, except that the ends of the stretchers usually attached to the runner are made of a somewhat different shape and are differently pierced. The ends of the stretchers usually attached to the runner are made to terminate in a fork. Between the prongs of this fork one end of a flat metal spring, shaped somewhat like a knife-spring, is jointed by means of a rivet, the holes for which are pierced inthe prongs of the fork as near to the upper surface-that is to say, the surface nearest to the ribs-as is consistent with strength, and at sucha distance from the end as to leave a heel or projecting piece of the fork of about an eighth of an inch in length for a full-sized umbrella. The heel will not need to be so long in smaller umbrellas, parasols, and sunshades, nor do I confine myself to any exact length, that which I describe being the length which I have found most advantageous. The other end of the dat spring is attached to the runner, and when the umbrella, parasol,l or sunshade is closed the springs lie nearly flat in longitudinal grooves in the runner just deep enough and wide enough to contain them, and a metal ring forming part of the runner surrounds and holds them down .at about one-third, or, as I find it better,

nearly one-half, of their length from the point of their attachment to the runner. The rener the ends of the springs jointed to the stretchers; but the elasticity of the springs constantly tends to oppose such forcea I tind it better that the ring surrounding the springs should be slotted to receive the springs and hold them in their places. A plain ring has, I am aware, been previously used for a somewhat similar purpose, and I do not claim as my invention a plain ring so used. As long as the stretchers lie along the stick in the po-l sition which they occupy when the umbrella, parasol, or sunshade is closed the springs are in a condition of rest; or if, asInd preferable, the heel of the stretcher-fork has a slight nose or projection toward the runner, the stretchers, and with them the ribs, will be pressed against the stick. If now the runner be pressed upward, the stretchers at once begin to act as 1evers, of which the heels pressing against therunner are the shorter arms, and raise the springs, thus bringing their elasticity into play, and that elasticity opposes the opening of the umbrella, parasol, or sunshade up to the point at which a line joining the point of the heel of each stretcher with the rivet attaching such stretcher to its spring makes an angle of nearly ninety degrees with the longitudinal axis of the runner. rIhis point may be called the deadpoint.77 As the runner is pushed beyond that point the elasticity of the spring operates in favor of the opening. I can increase the action of the springs at the most desirable points by giving a special form to the heels of the stretchers, so that a comparatively small point bears upon the runner at the dead-point, and rounding off the lower edges, which come to bear on the runner when that point is passed, so that the action of the springs is almost continuous either in the one direction or the other. Instead of the ends cf the stretchers being forked and the ends of the springs inserted in the forks, the ends of the stretchers may be single and the ends of the springs may be forked; and instead of the springs being quite dat they may have a longitudinal curvature, with the concavity toward the runner, which will cause them to exert a pressure upon the stretcher ends, pressing them toward the runner even without the nose upon the heel of the stretcher, to which I have previously referred, and in the position in which I have'before de ICO scribed them as being in a condition of rest. The amount of this curvature may vary with the length and stoutness of the spring. The shorter and'stouter the spring the less the curvature that will be required to produce a similar effect. The ends of the stretchers,instead of operating directly against the runner, may

operate against a groove or channel in a metal.

collar, preferably of hardened steel, which slides freely upon the runner, thus obviating the wearing of the runner by the friction ofthe ends of the stretchers and greatly facilitating the action. The lower ends ofthe springs may be covered by a thin metal sleeve, which may either be in one piece with or separate from a boss or flange which is screwed upon the handle end of the runner for the fingers to press against; but I do not claim the sleeve or the boss or ange in itself as my invention, each of such contrivances having been, as I am aware, previously used.

The action is as follows: The umbrella being closed, the pressure of the springs on the stretchers causes the ribs to lie close to the stick. Upon the runner being pushed upward from the handle of the umbrella, the stretchers at their junctions with the ribs4 rise up from the stick and raise the springs, which tend to press them against the stick. When the umbrella is about half open, the peculiar shape of the heels ofthe stretchers causes the springs to act in the reverse way, the effect now being to assist the opening of the umbrella. The stretchers I prefer to make a little longer than usual, so that when the umbrella is open they will pass the horizontal position upward toward the notch, and when the umbrella is closed they will allow the end of the runner to project beyond the tips. The runner may be stopped from rising beyond the proper position, when the umbrellais fully open, by a pin in the stick. Y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the runner which I use. A A A are the grooves in which the springs rest. These grooves may either be continued up to the ring B, under which the springs slide', as shown in Fig. 1, or they may extend for only ashortlength-say about the third of an inchalong the runner, so as to make a sort of notch for attaching the springs, as shown in Fig. 2, the springs being partly held in their places by passing through slots in the ring B, which are shown in Fig. 9, or by the ring itself, when the ring is made without slots. At the lower end of the lugs or projections which lie between the grooves small notches R R are cut equidistant from the lower end of the runner, for the purpose of securing the wire which fastens the springs into their places.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the steel collar which slides freely on the runner, with a groove or channel, D, for the stretcher ends to bear against.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a stretcher having a forked end with the steel spring Q attached to it by a rivet at E.

Figs. 7 and 8 show astretcher with a single end, a spring having a forked end, and being attached to it by a rivet at E.

Fig. 9 shows the ring B with slots for keeping the springs in their places. `I prefer to make this ring in one piece with the runner.

Figs. 10 and 11 show a knob or push-piece to be screwed on to the end of the runner nearest the handle of the umbrella and carrying a sleeve which will cover the greater part of the springs.

Figs. 12 and 13 show the spring as attached to a forked stretcher, and with the groove F, for the purpose of receiving a wire to fasten it in its place.

Figs. 14 and 15 show the spring when fastcned to a stretcher with a single end.

Fig. 16 is an elevation of the runner with the springs fixed in their places. This is done by passing the spring under the ringB andsliding it into the groove A, and then twisting a wire around the notches RR in the springs and runner. There is a great advantage in the simplicity of this operation.

Fig. 17 shows a section on the line L M in Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 shows a section through the runner with the stretcher l? and spring Q in position when the u-mbrella is open. ring B, and the push-piece T, with the sleeve S, are also shown.

Fig. 19 shows an elevation of the runner complete with the stretcher in the position when the umbrella is closed.

Fig. 20 shows the complete umbrella-frame o en.

IIaving now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is-'- 1. In an umbrella, parasol, or sunshade, the combination, with a runner provided with longitudinal grooves, of a series of springs lying in said grooves and connected at their upper ends to stretchers, substantially as described.

2. In an umbrella, parasol, or sunshade, the combination, with the grooved runner, the flat springs,and the slotted ring placed around the said runner,of a wire passing around and resting in notches in the lower ends of the runner and springs,substantiall y as described.

3. In an umbrella, parasol, or sunshade, a runner grooved for the reception of springs, and the sliding collarhaving a groove around its outer surface, substantially as described.

4. In an umbrella, parasol, or sunshade, the runner fitted with a ring provided with slots for the reception of the flat springs, and also with a collar provided with a groove around its outer surface, and adapted to slide up and down on the runner in engagement with the inner ends of the stretchers, substantially as described.

5. In an umbrella, parasol, or sunshade, a runner fitted with a sliding collar grooved around its outer surface, and with a stretcher,

The collar G,the

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thereto by being passed under the slotted ring B, and held in the grooves of the runner by a wire passed around and resting in notches in the grooves and springs, substantially as described.

8. In an umbrella, parasol, or sunshade, the combination of a runner having longitudinal grooves, a sliding collar having a groove around its outer surface, a slotted ring,a knob or push-piece with protecting-sleeve, and springs resting in the grooves of the runner at their lower ends, and attached at their upper ends to the inner ends of the stretcher, and adapted to press said inner ends of the stretcher inward, substantially as described.

Dated theith day of August, 1887.

JOHN BUCKLEY SEEL.

Witnesses:

G. W. BROWN,

62 cmd 63 Baringhall Street, E. 0., London.

W. HUMM,

37 Bmz'nghall Street, London, E. U. 

